Chapter 19 Goodbye to a great man.

To Professor Brian Llewellyn

May he Rest In Peace with his Judy, 

his wife Marilyn

This week has been a heavy one. The world lost Professor Brian Llewellyn—a second-generation Punch and Judy performer, and the reason I became an author.

I still remember the moment I saw him on Good Morning Britain, sharing the screen with Kate Garraway and Tricia Goddard. That interview lit a spark I couldn’t ignore. For two years afterward, sleep became a stranger. Judy—the puppet, the woman, the soul—haunted my every waking thought and even crept into my dreams. She wasn’t just a character. She was real. She had feelings. Her puppets were her companions, her family, her voice.

She still marvels, in my mind, at how her humble little shows—first created to entertain her baby son—have endured for over 400 years. Her story became mine. It’s all in my blog, but today... I just want to pause and say:

Rest in peace, Brian. Reunited now with your beloved Judy—your wife Marilyn—who left this world just a few short years ago. Childhood sweethearts, you were the living embodiment of Pulcinella and Joan. Punch and Judy. Heart and soul.

Thank you for being part of my journey. For inspiring the story that changed my life. To your family, I send love, strength, and the biggest hugs. Your legacy lives on—in laughter, in puppets, and in every word I write.

Today is not a day to promote myself... today is Brian's Day

14-08-2025 R.I.P. Brian

Chapter 18 A Moment of Reflection on My Journey Into Authorship

A Moment of Reflection on My Journey Into Authorship

I don’t usually write personal posts, but I felt compelled to speak out about something that happened recently.

To everyone who's been following my journey into authorship—thank you. Your support means the world.

As I’ve been learning the ropes of becoming an author, one piece of advice I kept hearing was: build an email list. So I dove into webinars and guidance from supposed experts, including a session hosted on LinkedIn. The manual method they shared was simple enough: send an introductory message, then—if someone replies or follows your page—check their profile, find their email, and add it to your author list.

I gave it a go. I don’t send many emails (truth be told, I often wonder if anyone would care to hear what’s going on in my world—ha!), but I pushed past that doubt and sent out a couple of messages.

And then it happened: someone emailed me requesting removal from my list… and threatened to report me under GDPR.

I was stunned. I’d followed the instructions from a LinkedIn webinar, and the person had followed me back—she was an author herself, so I assumed there was mutual interest. Clearly, I misread the situation.

I responded politely, explained how she’d ended up on my list, and assured her I’d remove her details—which I did, along with any interactions or connections we’d had. But the phrase she used stuck with me: “I never signed up to this email list.”

She was right, of course. And while I’m still finding my footing with social media and outreach, I never intended to upset or offend. I just want to share my stories.

So here’s what I wonder: why has it become so common to respond with threats instead of kindness? Why not simply say, “Please remove me from your list”? We're all just people trying to do our best—and in my case, I’m just someone who’s passionate about historical fiction and excited to connect with readers who might enjoy a dual timeline tale.

If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, you’re warmly invited to download my debut novel, Joan: Put on a Happy Face—free until 22nd July to celebrate my daughter’s birthday (happy birthday, sweetheart!).

Thank you for being part of the journey.

Joan: Put on a Happy Face (The Elixir Chronicles Book 1) eBook : Mottershead, Carol M: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Chapter 17 I was not alone...

Today I was researching for the final book in my trilogy and decided I needed to recap how it all came to pass. Why had I started writing my books?

It came as a great surprise to me to discover that the interview with Professor Brian Llewellyn had struck a place in the heart of more than myself!

In an article by Emily Jane Davies dated 13th May 2024 she told of a University in Exeter who had taken Tricia Goddard at her suggestion and had decided to rewrite the script for Punch and Judy to make it less about violence as per her suggestion.

You may remember that it all started with an interview on 28th July 2018 on Good Morning Britain with presenter Kate Garraway and her guests Professor Brian Llewellyn and Tricia Goddard...more...

Chapter 10 - Don't sit and wait!

Don’t Just Stand and Wait!

The first lesson you learn after publishing your book? You can’t just sit back and wait for readers to find it! They won’t buy your book unless you let them know it’s out there—and that’s when the real hard work begins.

At first, I kept things simple, posting on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Then I added LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Before I knew it, I’d discovered even more: Pinterest, Tumblr, Reddit, TikTok… the list seemed endless! It quickly became exhausting. I was spending more time marketing than writing my next book, and it wore me out.

Bryan’s Ad School came to the rescue for a while, teaching me how to choose the right keywords to advertise and—here’s the kicker—make them relevant. What does “relevant” mean? I’m still working that out fully, but here’s the gist: your ads need to reach potential readers in your book’s genre. That’s what Ad School emphasizes. Start running the ads; get your book seen by the right audience (ah, so that’s relevance!).

Like all advertising, it takes time for readers to notice. A key lesson I learned is that readers often won’t buy your book the first time they see it advertised. They might need to see it a few times before their curiosity gets the better of them. The trick is to play the long game. Be patient. As Bryan says, channel your “zen lemur” mindset—don’t expect miracles overnight! After all, no writer becomes famous overnight… right? 😄

So, I launched my ad campaigns on Amazon in both the US and the UK. This time, I didn’t fall into the trap of bidding too high, as Amazon suggests. My first attempt at advertising left me £100 lighter in just two weeks—lesson learned! Bryan’s Profit Challenges recommend bidding low: 34c for standalone books, 39c for the first book in a series. In the UK, he suggests 16p. It’s a much more affordable strategy for authors, though I’m not sure Amazon is thrilled about it, haha!

There’s more to learn in Ad School, but some insights are exclusive to enrolled students, so I can’t reveal everything here. I will say this—his course and methods are brilliant for identifying why a book isn’t selling and what can be done about it. (Why do you think I revamped my book cover and description? 😉)

Looking Ahead Next time, I’ll share some details about my next book, working title: Memories of John Punch.

If you haven’t grabbed a copy of Joan - Put on a Happy Face yet, here’s the link. If you’ve already read and enjoyed it, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review. 👌

I hope you enjoy reading my blogs! While I write them for my own enjoyment, if they help or inspire even one person, the effort has been worthwhile.

Happy reading—and as always, keep smiling! 😊

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joan-Happy-face-Carol-Mottershead/dp/B08HTM1M2Q

Chapter 9 The Making of 'JOAN' - Bryan Cohen's Ad School Challenge

Well, Here We Are Again…

I thought I had it all figured out—the plan, the direction, everything. But the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth! After friends and family had done their part supporting my book, sales came to a sudden standstill. I was so disheartened, I almost gave up. What now? Where do I go? Who could I possibly turn to for help?

I didn’t have money to waste, and there are far too many vultures preying on newbie indie authors. Social media seemed like a good idea initially, with its countless groups encouraging authors to join and connect. But many of those so-called “private groups” turned out to be a haven for predatory marketing companies, sliding into direct messages to push their services. It didn’t take long for me to realize these groups weren’t filled with readers—the public, the people I wanted to reach. Instead, they were packed with other authors and opportunistic vultures.

As you can tell, I became pretty disillusioned.

I watched endless videos and sat through countless webinars I’d discovered on social media. They all shared a tiny nugget of helpful advice before diving into their inevitable sales pitch. Every single time.

Then I tried Amazon advertising. It works on a bidding system where you set the price you’re willing to pay per click for each keyword. Well, that turned into a disaster! Nearly £100 spent in just two weeks with zero sales to show for it. Frustrated, I gave up.

A Fresh Approach: Bryan Cohen’s Amazon Ads Profit Challenge

Getting Ready for the 5-Day Amazon Ad Challenge

Months later, I came across Bryan Cohen’s Amazon Ads Profit Challenge. My initial reaction? “Oh, here we go again.” But what did I have to lose besides a bit of time? So, I took the two-week challenge. I followed the homework, watched the suggested videos, and… nothing. At least, not at first.

What sets Bryan’s challenge apart is that he runs it every three months. Authors at any stage of their career—whether they’ve written one book or dozens—are welcome. For two full weeks, participants can ask Bryan’s team anything about their advertising strategy. And the best part? The advice is completely free. Genuine, no-strings-attached guidance for two weeks. That alone felt like a rarity!

I decided to join again for the next session. By then, I’d had a nibble or two in terms of sales, and thanks to Bryan’s more measured, careful approach to ad bidding (what he calls the “zen lemur” method), I could afford to keep advertising longer. Slowly but surely, my book started gaining visibility on Amazon’s digital shelves. It was progress! After all, the point of writing a book is for people to see and read it—not to let it gather virtual dust. Advertising works on repetition; the more people see something, the more curious they become. Eventually, they might just take the plunge and give it a try.

Ad School and Beyond

Ad School sounded like a fantastic opportunity. The level of support and advice offered was intriguing, but I couldn’t afford to enroll. Still, Bryan’s team continues to invite authors back to the free challenge every three months. You can’t argue with that kind of generosity!

Then came an unexpected surprise—I won a spot in Ad School! Me, someone who never wins anything! It felt surreal, and I’ve been with them ever since. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but the support and advice have been invaluable. I’ll keep you updated when I hit the big leagues as a famous author, but for now, I’m busy working on my next book.

Watch This Space!

Joan - Put on a Happy Face is the first in a series 'The Elixir Chronicles', so stay tuned for what’s to come.

Want to ask questions or keep in touch? Feel free to join my email list and email me at authorcmmottershead@gmail.com.

Happy reading, and as always, keep smiling! 😊

Chapter 8 The Making of 'Joan' - Marketing my book

Marketing My Book

Publishing a book with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is just the start. Once it’s live, they encourage you to advertise on Amazon sites. Setting up your sales page is completely free—just like their publishing service—and you only incur costs once your book sells. Even then, the royalties are generous: 60% (minus print costs) for paperbacks and hardcovers, and a whopping 70% for eBooks. Compared to traditional or vanity publishing, it’s an excellent deal.

But here’s the truth—marketing a book is, without a doubt, the hardest part! 

With traditional publishers, they handle the marketing for you: social media campaigns, email blasts, and everything in between. Of course, this comes at a cost, and nothing in the world of marketing is ever truly free. But for independent authors, the challenge is different—it’s all up to 'you' to get your book noticed.

Publishing your book and having it displayed on Amazon’s “shop floor” (your sales page) doesn’t guarantee that readers will pick it from the millions of other titles and buy a copy. That realization hits hard. This is where expenses come into play.

I tried Amazon’s advertising system, bidding on ad space in hopes of boosting my visibility. Let me tell you—it’s expensive! I spent more than I’d hoped and saw little return on my investment. Enter Bryan Cohen’s Ads Profit Challenge—a genuine game-changer. His approach taught me how to advertise smartly, spending less while reaching more readers. While it’s called the “Profit Challenge,” it’s absolutely that—a challenge! But with his insights, I started to see results.

Still, my sales mostly came from word of mouth, and even that has its limits. I wondered, “What’s wrong with my book? Why isn’t anyone buying it?”

Bryan Cohen’s Ad School helped me dig deeper and pinpoint the issues. The first hurdle was figuring out the right genres for my book—a daunting task given that "Joan - Put on a Happy Face" covers so many tropes.

Some examples include:

- A young girl loses her mother at an impressionable age.

- She defies her father’s wishes by marrying an older, vagrant actor.

- As a young mother, she battles postnatal depression while her husband is consumed by work.

- She uses play therapy to help her son express himself.

- A shy girl transforms into a fierce, confident woman through her experiences as a travelling performer.

- Her husband falls into addiction, becoming irresponsible and lazy.

- He strikes her, leaving her for dead and abducting their son.

- Guilt over killing his best friend pushes him into madness.

- As an immortal, he grapples with PTSD, unable to find peace or death despite his yearning for it.

And the list goes on. Identifying a starting point was overwhelming, but I took it step by step.

Next, we evaluated my book cover. Sometimes, the cover itself can affect sales. After much thought, I gave my book a makeover, and the new cover captured its essence more effectively.

Which Cover Do You Prefer?

Let me know in the comments, email authorcmmottershead@gmail.com—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

In the meantime, here’s the link to the paperback version:  

"Joan - Put on a Happy Face" by Carol M Mottershead

Happy reading!

Biographical Historical Fiction: Why should I read it?

Biographical Historical Fiction - Why should I read it?

If you're looking for a genre that combines history with a fascinating story, look no further than biographical historical fiction!

This genre offers readers a chance to immerse themselves in another time period and learn about real people who lived through incredible events.

Here are just a few of the many reasons to love biographical historical fiction:

-You'll gain a new perspective on history

-You'll be inspired by the stories of real people

-You'll learn about different cultures and time periods

-You'll be transported to another time and place

So if you're looking for a genre that's both educational and entertaining, make sure to check out biographical historical fiction!

Check out 'Joan: put on a happy face' by Carol M Mottershead out in paperback now

Joan: Put on a Happy face: Amazon.co.uk: Mottershead, Carol M: 9798683476625: Books